Bactris acanthocarpa exscapa

Description

Stems solitary or less often cespitose and then with 2-5 or more stems per clump,0.1- 1.5 m tall (rarely taller on old plants),3-6 cm in diam.,sometimes procumbent,seldom spiny on internodes,usually covered with persistent,decaying leaf bases.Leaves 5-15 in the ceown;leaf spines mostly solitary and scattered,black,sometimes somewhat flattened,to 8 (- 15) cm long,on sheath and lateral surfaces of petiole,denser on proximal part of petiole,usually absent from rachis;sheath 10-50 cm long;ocrea to 10 cm long;petiole 0.4-1.7 m long;petiole and rachis reddish brown-tomentose abaxially;rachis 0.6-3.1 m long;pinnae (3-) 12-33 per side,irregularly arranged in clusters of 2-4,spreading inslightly different planes,linear-lanceolate or sigmoid,long-acuminate,usually with prominent cross-veins;middle pinnae 20-60 x 3-10 cm;apical pinna usually wider than others.Inflorescences interfoliar,often hidden among persistent leaf bases and debris;peduncle 10-20 cm long,straight or slightly curved,usually not spinulose,sometimes scarcely to densely spinulose;prophyll 6-14 cm long;peduncular bract 20-40 cm long,moderately to densely covered with black spines to 1 cm long,sometimes more or less glabrous,persistent over infructescence and rotting at base as fruits develop;rachis 2-5 cm long;rachillae 10-46,4-12 cm long,filamentous,at anthesis covered with brown,moniliform trichomes;triads more or less regularly arranged (but often with solitary staminate flowers interspersed) on proximal about half or more of rachillae,and there tending to be absent from adaxial side of rachillae (paired or solitary staminate flowers only on distal about half of rachillae);staminate flowers to 3 mm long,deciduous;sepal lobes 0.5-1 mm long;petals 2.5-3 mm long;stamens 6;pistillode absent;pistillate flowers 2-3 mrn long;calyx urceolate,1-3 mm long,glabrous or with small,brown scales;corolla urceolate,2-4 mm long,glabrous,or with a few small,brown scales,or occasionally with spinules,glabrescent;staminodes absent;fruits 1-2.3 cm diam.,broadly obovoid,shortly rostrate,orange or red,with deciduous,flexuous spinules;mesocarp starchy;endocarp obovoid,the sterile pores slightly displaced longitudinally;endocarp fibers few or absent;fruiting perianth with short,3-lobed,glabrous calyx and longer,3-lobed,glabrous corolla,without staminodial ring..(Henderson,A.J.,Bactris (Palmae) in Flora Neotropica Monographs 79.2000)/Palmweb.Editing by edric.